Wolfgang Mozart - Pianist, Composer - Biography.com Wolfgang Mozart A prolific artist, Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart created a string of operas, concertos, symphonies and sonatas that profoundly shaped classical music. IN THESE GROUPS “Love, love, love—that is the soul of genius.” Wolfgang Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Mini Biography (TV-14; 3:05) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart learned the piano at the age of three, and soon developed his skills in all musical forms. Widely recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time, he produced over 600 works. Synopsis Born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a musician capable of playing multiple instruments who started playing in public at the age of 6. Over the years, Mozart aligned himself with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of works that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, chamber music, concertos and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures. Early Life Central Europe in the mid-18th century was going through a period of transition.

The remnants of the Holy Roman Empire had divided into small semi-self-governing principalities. The result was competing rivalries between these municipalities for identity and recognition. Political leadership of small city-states like Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague was in the hands of the aristocracy and their wealth would commission artists and musicians to amuse, inspire, and entertain. The music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods was transitioning toward more full-bodied compositions with complex instrumentation. The small city-state of Salzburg would be the birthplace of one of the most talented and prodigious musical composers of all time. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s was the sole-surviving son of Leopold and Maria Pertl Mozart. Leopold was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concert master at the Salzburg court. Wolfgang’s mother, Anna Maria Pertl, was born to a middle class family of local community leaders. His only sister was Maria Anna (nicknamed “Nannerl”). With their father’s encouragement and guidance, they both were introduced to music at an early age. Leopold started Nannerl on keyboard when she was seven, as three-year old Wolfgang looked on.

Mimicking her playing, Wolfgang quickly began to show a strong understanding of chords, tonality, and tempo. Soon, he too was being tutored by his father. Leopold was a devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. He made the lessons fun, but also insisted on a strong work ethic and perfection. Fortunately, both children excelled well in these areas. Recognizing their special talents, Leopold devoted much of his time to their education in music as well as other subjects. Wolfgang soon showed signs of excelling beyond his father’s teachings with an early composition at age five and demonstrating outstanding ability on harpsichord and the violin. He would soon go on to play the piano, organ and viola. In 1762, Wolfgang’s father took Nannerl, now age eleven, and Wolfgang, age six to the court of Bavaria in Munich in what was to become the first of several European "tours." The siblings traveled to the courts of Paris, London, The Hague, and Zurich performing as child prodigies. Wolfgang met a number of accomplished musicians and became familiar with their works.

Particularity important was his meeting with Johann Christian Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach's youngest son) in London who had a strong influence on Wolfgang. The trips were long and often arduous, traveling in primitive conditions and waiting for invitations and reimbursements from the nobility. Frequently, Wolfgang and other members of his family fell seriously ill and had to limit their performance schedule. Budding Young Composer In December, 1769, Wolfgang, then age 13, and his father departed from Salzburg for Italy, leaving his mother and sister at home. It seems that by this time Nannerl’s professional music career was over. She was nearing marriageable age and according to the custom of the time, she was no longer permitted to show her artistic talent in public. The Italian outing was longer than the others (1769-1771) as Leopold wanted to display his son’s abilities as a performer and composer to as many new audiences as possible. While in Rome, Wolfgang heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere performed once in the Sistine Chapel. He wrote out the entire score from memory, returning only to correct a few minor errors.

During this time Wolfgang also wrote a new opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto for the court of Milan. Other commissions followed and in subsequent trips to Italy, Wolfgang wrote two other operas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla (1772). Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his father returned from their last stay in Italy in March, 1773. His father’s benefactor, Archbishop von Schrattenbach had died and was succeeded by Hieronymus von Colleredo. Upon their return, the new archbishop appointed young Mozart as assistant concertmaster with a small salary. During this time, young Mozart had the opportunity to work in several different musical genres composing symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a few operas. He developed a passion for violin concertos producing what came to be the only five he wrote. In 1776, he turned his efforts toward piano concertos, culminating in the Piano Concerto Number 9 in E flat major in early 1777. Wolfgang had just turned 21.

Despite his success with the compositions, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was growing discontent with his position as assistant concert master and the confining environment of Salzburg. He was ambitious and believed he could do more somewhere else. Archbishop von Colloredo was becoming inpatient with the young genius’s complaining and immature attitude. In August 1777, Mozart set out on a trip to find more prosperous employment. The archbishop wouldn’t give Leopold permission to travel, so Anna Maria accompanied Wolfgang on his quest to the cities of Mannheim, Paris and Munich. There were several employment positions that initially proved promising, but all eventually fell through. He began to run out of funds and had to pawn several valuable personal items to pay traveling and living expenses. The lowest point of the trip was when his mother fell ill and died on July 3, 1778. After hearing the news of his wife’s death, Leopold negotiated a better post for his son as court organist in Salzburg and Wolfgang returned soon after. Making it in Vienna Back in Salzburg in 1779, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart produced a series of church works, including the Coronation Mass.

He also composed another opera for Munich, Ideomeneo in 1781. In March of that year, Mozart was summoned to Vienna by Archbishop von Colloredo, who was attending the accession of Joseph II to the Austrian throne. The Archbishop’s cool reception toward Mozart offended him. He was treated as a mere servant, quartered with the help, and forbidden from performing before the Emperor for a fee equal to half his yearly salary in Salzburg. A quarrel ensued and Mozart offered to resign his post. The Archbishop refused at first, but then relented with an abrupt dismissal and physical removal from the Archbishop’s presence. Mozart decided to settle in Vienna as a freelance performer and composer and for a time lived with friends at the home of Fridolin Weber. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart quickly found work in Vienna, taking on pupils, writing music for publication, and playing in several concerts. He also began writing an opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). In the summer of 1781, it was rumored that Mozart was contemplating marriage to Fridolin Weber’s daughter, Constanze.

Knowing his father would disapprove of the marriage and the interruption in his career, young Mozart quickly wrote his father denying any idea of marriage. But by December, he was asking for his father’s blessings. While it’s known that Leopold disapproved, what is not known is the discussion between father and son as Leopold’s letters were said to be destroyed by Constanze. However, later correspondence from Wolfgang indicated that he and his father disagreed considerably on this matter. He was in love with Constanze and the marriage was being strongly encouraged by her mother, so in some sense, he felt committed. The couple was finally married on August 4, 1782. In the meantime, Leopold did finally consent to the marriage. Constanze and Wolfgang had six children, though only two survived infancy, Karl Thomas and Franz Xaver.

As 1782 turned to 1783, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart became enthralled with the work of Johannes Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel and this, in turn, resulted in several compositions in the Baroque style and influenced much of his later compositions, such as passages in Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) and the finale of Symphony Number 41. During this time, Mozart met Joseph Haydn and the two composers became admiring friends. When Haydn visited Vienna, they sometimes performed impromptu concerts with string quartets. Between 1782 and 1785 Mozart wrote six quartets dedicated to Haydn. European Fame The opera Die Entführung enjoyed immediate and continuing success and bolstered Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s name and talent throughout Europe. With the substantial returns from concerts and publishing, he and Constanze enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. They lived in one of the more exclusive apartment buildings of Vienna, sent their son, Karl Thomas, to an expensive boarding school, kept servants, and maintained a busy social life. In 1783, Mozart and Constanze traveled Salzburg, to visit his father and sister.

The visit was somewhat cool, as Leopold was still a reluctant father-in-law and Nannerl was a dutiful daughter. But the stay promoted Mozart to begin writing a mass in C Minor, of which only the first two sections, "Kyrie" and "Gloria," were completed. In 1784, Mozart became a Freemason, a fraternal order focused on charitable work, moral uprightness, and the development of fraternal friendship. Mozart was well regarded in the Freemason community, attending meetings and being involved in various functions. Freemasonry also became a strong influence in Mozart’s music. From 1782 to 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart divided his time between self-produced concerts as soloist, presenting three to four new piano concertos in each season. Theater space for rent in Vienna was sometimes hard to come by, so Mozart booked himself in unconventional venues such as large rooms in apartment buildings and ballrooms of expensive restaurants. The year 1784, proved the most prolific in Mozart’s performance life. During one five-week period, he appeared in 22 concerts, including five he produced and performed as the soloist.

In a typical concert, he would play a selection of existing and improvisational pieces and his various piano concertos. Other times he would conduct performances of his symphonies. The concerts were very well attended as Mozart enjoyed a unique connection with his audiences who were, in the words of Mozart biographer Maynard Solomon, “given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection of a major musical genre.” During this time, Mozart also began to keep a catalog of his own music, perhaps indicating an awareness of his place in musical history. By the mid-1780s, Wolfgang and Constanze Mozart’s extravagant lifestyle was beginning to take its toll. Despite his success as a pianist and composer, Mozart was falling into serious financial difficulties. Mozart associated himself with aristocratic Europeans and felt he should live like one. He figured that the best way to attain a more stable and lucrative income would be through court appointment. However, this wouldn’t be easy with the court’s musical preference bent toward Italian composers and the influence of Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri. Mozart’s relationship with Salieri has been the subject of speculation and legend.

Letters written between Mozart and his father, Leopold, indicate that the two felt a rivalry for and mistrust of the Italian musicians in general and Salieri in particular. Decades after Mozart’s death, rumors spread that Salieri had poisoned him. This rumor was made famous in 20th century playwright Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus and in the 1984 film of the same name by director Milos Foreman. But in truth there is no basis for this speculation. Though both composers were often in contention for the same job and public attention, there is little evidence that their relationship was anything beyond a typical professional rivalry. Both admired each other’s work and at one point even collaborated on a cantata for voice and piano called Per la recuperate salute di Ophelia. Toward the end of 1785, Mozart met the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, a Venetian composer and poet and together they collaborated on the opera The Marriage of Figaro. It received a successful premier in Vienna in 1786 and was even more warmly received in Prague later that year.

This triumph led to a second collaboration with Da Ponte on the opera Don Giovanni which premiered in 1787 to high acclaim in Prague. Noted for their musical complexity, the two operas are among Mozart’s most important works and are mainstays in operatic repertoire today. Both compositions feature the wicked nobleman, though Figaro is presented more in comedy and portrays strong social tension. Perhaps the central achievement of both operas lies in their ensembles with their close link between music and dramatic meaning. Later Years In December, 1787, Emperor Joseph II appointed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as his "chamber composer," a post that had opened up with the death of Gluck. The gesture was as much an honor bestowed on Mozart as it was incentive to keep the esteemed composer from leaving Vienna for greener pastures. It was a part-time appointment with low pay, but it required Mozart only to compose dances for the annual balls. The modest income was a welcome windfall for Mozart, who was struggling with debt, and provided him the freedom to explore more of his personal musical ambitions. Toward the end of the 1780s, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s fortunes began to grow worse.

He was performing less and his income shrank. Austria was at war and both the affluence of the nation and the ability of the aristocracy to support the arts had declined. By mid-1788, Mozart moved his family from central Vienna to the suburb of Alsergrund, for what would seem to be a way of reducing living costs. But in reality, his family expenses remained high and the new dwelling only provided more room. Mozart began to borrow money from friends, though he was almost always able to promptly repay when a commission or concert came his way. During this time he wrote his last three symphonies and the last of the three Da Ponte operas, Cosi Fan Tutte, which premiered in 1790. During this time, Mozart ventured long distances from Vienna to Leipzig, Berlin, and Frankfurt, and other German cities hoping to revive his once great success and the family’s financial situation, but did neither. The two-year period of 1788-1789 was a low point for Mozart, experiencing in his own words "black thoughts" and deep depression.

Historians believe he may have had some form of bipolar disorder, which might explain the periods of hysteria coupled with spells of hectic creativity. Between 1790 and 1791, now in his mid-thirties, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart went through a period of great music productivity and personal healing. Some of his most admired works -- the opera The Magic Flute, the final piano concerto in B-flat, the Clarinet Concerto in A major, and the unfinished Requiem to name a few -- were written during this time. Mozart was able to revive much of his public notoriety with repeated performances of his works. His financial situation began to improve as wealthy patrons in Hungary and Amsterdam pledged annuities in return for occasional compositions. From this turn of fortune, he was able to pay off many of his debts. However, during this time both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s mental and physical health was deteriorating. In September, 1791, he was in Prague for the premier of the opera La Clemenza di Tito, which he was commissioned to produce for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia.

Mozart recovered briefly to conduct the Prague premier of The Magic Flute, but fell deeper into illness in November and was confined to bed. Constanze and her sister Sophie came to his side to help nurse him back to health, but Mozart was mentally preoccupied with finishing Requiem, and their efforts were in vain. Death and Legacy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died on December 5, 1791 at age 35. The cause of death is uncertain, due to the limits of postmortem diagnosis. Officially, the record lists the cause as severe miliary fever, referring to a skin rash that looks like millet seeds. Since then, many hypotheses have circulated regarding Mozart's death. Some have attributed it to rheumatic fever, a disease he suffered from repeatedly throughout his life. It was reported that his funeral drew few mourners and he was buried in a common grave. Both actions were the Viennese custom at the time, for only aristocrats and nobility enjoyed public mourning and were allowed to be buried in marked graves. However, his memorial services and concerts in Vienna and Prague were well attended. After his death, Constanze sold many of his unpublished manuscripts to undoubtedly pay off the family’s large debts.

She was able to obtain a pension from the emperor and organized several profitable memorial concerts in Mozart’s honor. From these efforts, Constanze was able to gain some financial security for herself and allowing her to send her children to private schools. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s death came at a young age, even for the time period. Yet his meteoric rise to fame and accomplishment at a very early age is reminiscent of more contemporary musical artists whose star had burned out way too soon. At the time of his death, Mozart was considered one of the greatest composers of all time. His music presented a bold expression, often times complex and dissonant, and required high technical mastery from the musicians who performed it. His works remained secure and popular throughout the 19th century, as biographies about him were written and his music enjoyed constant performances and renditions by other musicians. His work influenced many composers that followed -- most notably Beethoven. Along with his friend Joseph Haydn, Mozart conceived and perfected the grand forms of symphony, opera, string ensemble, and concerto that marked the classical period.

In particular, his operas display an uncanny psychological insight, unique to music at the time, and continue to exert a particular fascination for musicians and music lovers today. Videos Famous Austrians - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Famous Austrians Order Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756 - 1791) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - one of the greatest composers of all times. He created his own distinct style, blending traditional and contemporary. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the 27th January 1756 in Salzburg and was already considered a genius as a child. He made his first attempts at composition at the tender age of six. He was the son of Leopold Mozart, violin instructor, court composer and deputy music director at the court of the prince-archbishop of Salzburg, and Anna Maria, née Pertl. Wolfgang Amadeus is one of the greatest composers of all times. He created twenty-four operas including such famous works as "The Magic Flute", "Don Giovanni" and "The Marriage of Figaro", seventeen masses and over fifty symphonies. Mozart’s work, however, extended to all styles and types of music.

He knew how to blend traditional and contemporary elements to create his own distinctive style, which is characterized by thematic and tonal variety, melded with a high degree of formal discipline. Mozart’s compositions live from their melodic, rhythmic and dynamic contrasts. Following his break with the archbishop of Salzburg, Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781, where a year later he married the singer Constanze Weber. In 1787 he was appointed court chamber composer. Mozart died in 1791 while working on his famed requiem. Testimonial from Rosa Mendoza "I am hopelessly in love with opera and classical music. My absoloute favourite composer is Mozart. I knew that his grave is lost, but I also knew that his sister's grave is marked. So I dreamed for years of visiting Mozart's home country to a least visit his sister's grave. Last summer that dream crystallized when I visited the birthplace of this brilliant man. Unfortunately my trip to Austria was for one day only as my host family lived in Berlin.

Although my visit was brief, I was left with a lifelong impression, and I yearn to experience in depth this culturally rich, majestic land." Receive our updates BBC NEWS | Entertainment | 'German' Mozart upsets Austrians 'German' Mozart upsets Austrians Mozart was born in Salzburg, now part of Austria Austrians have voiced their upset over a shortlist for a "best Germans" TV show that includes the Salzburg-born composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Austria's ambassador to Germany, Christian Prosl, has said that because Salzburg is in modern-day Austria, Mozart is Austrian, and has complained over the composer's inclusion in the list. But the makers of the TV programme, a copy of the BBC series Great Britons, have said that Mozart identified himself as German and is eligible for the series. Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756 and died in Vienna in 1791. At the time, German-speakers lived in a loose confederation of states.

Shortlisted 'best Germans' Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Karl Marx A spokeswoman from the Austrian embassy in London told BBC News Online said that Mozart was neither German or Austrian as he came from Salzburg when it was its own city state, but that Austria now claimed him as "Austrian". Other disputed candidates in the ZDF-made show include the composer Joseph Haydn, who was born in Vienna, and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He was born in the Moravian town of Pribor, then part of a German league but now in the Czech Republic, but lived most of his life in Vienna before moving to London. Another controversial candidate is the renaissance scientist Copernicus, the first man to theorise the earth revolved around the sun, who was born in the town of Torun, now part of present-day Poland. Nazi ban ZDF said there was always likely to be some controversy because Germany's borders had changed so often, and producers were having difficulties suggesting some candidates born outside of Germany's present-day borders.

Unlike the Great Britons shortlist, which was chosen by the public, the shortlist of 300 Germans has mostly been picked by the programme-makers in an effort to prevent Adolf Hitler, himself an Austrian by birth, or other Nazi leaders from being chosen. The public has been able to choose only 50 of the candidates. Some of the undisputedly-German candidates include the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, scientist Albert Einstein, writer Gunter Grass, tennis player Boris Becker and the supermodel Claudia Schiffer. The Great Britons programme was won by Britain's wartime leader Winston Churchill. Mozart Salzburg - Mozart Birthplace Mozart Salzburg Ski Packages Share When it comes to all things Mozart Salzburg is the place to be. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg , and the city's favorite son's image can be found all over town. In fact, many locals make their living off of his name, selling various wares or offering Mozart-related city tours. But, it's the exact Mozart birthplace and initial place of residence that is the city's best Mozart attraction, and this yellow house with white shutters surely draws in its fair share of visitors.

It's included in the aforementioned Mozart Salzburg city tours , which offer fantastic insight into the musician's life. This famous Mozart birthplace can be found in the heart of Salzburg at Getreidegasse 9. The third floor of the home served as the residence of young Wolfgang and his family until the musical prodigy was seventeen. Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, and he was baptized at one of Salzburg's other great attractions, St Rupert's Cathedral, which is a beautiful seventeenth century baroque church. At the time, Salzburg was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Mozart had a sister named Nannerl, and she was quite a talented musician herself. Four years older than Wolfgang, she often noted how musically gifted her younger brother was. By the time he was five, he was composing songs on a clavier (keyboard). At age six, he was gracing the stage at Vienna's Schonbrunn Palace! It didn't hurt that their father was a bit of a composer himself as well as a teacher. Wolfgang and his father would grow to be quite close, his father always keen of how special his son was when it came to music.

Mozarts Geburtshaus, as the Mozart Birthplace is known in Austria , offers three floors to explore and included in the museum is the family apartment. It's truly a special experience for Mozart fans to be able to see where this Classical music master grew up, especially when you consider that among the exhibits are Mozart's childhood violin, his viola, his clavier, and even a pianoforte. There are also some paintings at the museum that are of merit. If they were put on the open market, you bet they'd fetch a pretty penny. This would be especially true of the unfinished portrait of Mozart, which was done by his brother-in-law Joseph Lange. Even if you aren't familiar with Mozart's musical compositions, you won't want to miss the chance to visit this Salzburg Austria Mozart museum when in town. The admission price is more than agreeable, and if you have a Salzburg Card to get you into all the top Salzburg attractions, it's basically free. The Salzburg Austria Mozart museum (Mozarts Geburtshaus) is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. Austria Map The Mozart Salzburg experience doesn't have to end at Mozarts Geburtshaus.

In the heart of town, a statue of Wolfgang dons the Mozartplatz, which is a square named after the composer. At Makartplatz 8, further outside of the city center, the Mozart Wohnhaus is where Mozart lived between the years of 1773 and 1780. Though it was heavily damaged by air raids during World War II, it still stands proudly, thanks to some renovations. Dedicated fans of Classical music who are looking to further extend their Mozart Salzburg experience can make an appointment to visit the International Mozarteum Foundation's headquarters, the Mozarteum, which is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Among the highlights here is the Magic Flute House. A small, wooden structure, this is where Mozart composed The Magic Flute. At the Mozarteum, there is a 200-seat concert hall known as the Viennese Hall, and an even larger venue for 800 in one of the building's wings. While numerous concerts are held at both venues throughout the year, the best time to drop by for a performance is during the Mozart Festival Salzburg celebration.

Called Mozartwoche, this festival marks Mozart's birthday with a week and a half of operas and music concerts. The Salzburg Austria Mozart connection is further on display during the greater Salzburg Festival, which features a healthy dose of the composer's music. There's even a Salzburg Austria Mozart bicycle path, which starts in the city, cuts through the Land Salzburg Lake District, and continues on into German Bavaria. The ending point is Berchtesgaden, which is where Adolf Hitler often vacationed. Hotels Things To Do in Salzburg: Top Attractions & Activities | Expedia Attractions (8) Day Trips & Excursions (20) Food & Drink (1) Hop-on Hop-off (1) Nightlife (1) Private Tours (14) Private Transfers (4) Show & Sport Tickets (2) Sightseeing Passes (1) Tours & Sightseeing (17) Walking & Bike Tours (2) Activities in Salzburg If you are looking for some excitement while touring Europe, you can find plenty of fun things to do in Salzburg, Austria. Famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born here, and the city still remains a top cultural and arts capital to this day.

While taking Salzburg tours, you can also see lovely waterways and cobblestone streets lined with vintage shops in many places throughout the city. One of the must see places in Salzburg is the elaborate Mirabell Palace. The current main building of the palace was constructed during the 18th century. Beautiful gardens featuring manicured lawns and intricate floral arrangements surround the palace. You can also visit the peaceful tourist resort area known as the Salzkammergut, if you are interested in seeing some of the natural beauty around the city. This area offers gorgeous views of the Traun River and nearby mountains. This area is also one of the most ideal spots to enjoy outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, and cycling. If you are in the mood to check out some museums, you will definitely have no trouble finding them in Salzburg. You can even pick up a map to locate many of the best local museums. Modern art pieces created by some of today’s most acclaimed artists are on display inside the Rupertinum Museum of Modern Art. You can also observe extensive collections of antique toys inside the Spielzeugmuseum. The Mozart Museum celebrates the life and works of the famous composer and is one of the top attractions in Salzburg.

Salzburg excursions offer some of the most rewarding travel experiences. You can enjoy all of the wonderful Salzburg activities and save big on your travels when you book your hotel rooms and flights through Expedia Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Biography - life, children, death, history, wife, school, mother, son, old, information, born Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Biography Vienna, Austria Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer (a writer of music) whose mastery of the whole range of contemporary (modern) instrumental and vocal forms—including the symphony, concerto, chamber music, and especially the opera—was unchallenged in his own time and perhaps in any other. Child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. His father, Leopold Mozart, a noted composer, instructor, and the author of famous writings on violin playing, was then in the service of the archbishop of Salzburg. Leopold and Anna Maria, his wife, stressed the importance of music to their children. Together with his sister, Nannerl, Wolfgang received such intensive musical training that by the age of six he was a budding composer and an accomplished keyboard performer.

In 1762 Leopold presented his son as performer at the imperial court in Vienna, Austria, and from 1763 to 1766 he escorted both children on a continuous musical tour across Europe, which included long stays in Paris, France, and London, England, as well as visits to many other cities, with appearances before the French and English royal families. Mozart was the most celebrated child prodigy (an unusually gifted child) of this time as a keyboard performer. He also made a great impression as a composer and improviser (one who arranges or creates). In London he won the admiration of musician Johann Christian Bach (1735–1782), and he was exposed from an early age to an unusual variety of musical styles and tastes across Europe. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. . Gaining fame From the age of ten to seventeen, Mozart's reputation as a composer grew to a degree of maturity equal to that of most older established musicians.

He spent the years from 1766 to 1769 at Salzburg writing instrumental works and music for school dramas in German and Latin, and in 1768 he produced his first real operas: the German Singspiel (that is, with spoken dialogue) Bastien und Bastienne. Despite his growing reputation, Mozart found no suitable post open to him; and his father once more escorted Mozart, at age fourteen (1769), and set off for Italy to try to make his way as an opera composer. In Italy, Mozart was well received: in Milan, Italy, he obtained a commission for an opera; in Rome he was made a member of an honorary knightly order by the Pope; and at Bologna, Italy, the Accademia Filarmonica awarded him membership despite a rule normally requiring candidates to be twenty years old.

During these years of travel in Italy and returns to Salzburg between journeys, he produced his first large-scale settings of opera seria (that is, court opera on serious subjects): Mitridate (1770), Ascanio in Alba (1771), and Lucio Silla (1772), as well as his first string quartets. At Salzburg in late 1771 he renewed his writing of Symphonies (Nos. 14–21). In Paris and Vienna Paris was a vastly larger theater for Mozart's talents. His father urged him to go there, for "from Paris the fame of a man of great talent echoes through the whole world," he wrote his son. But after nine difficult months in Paris, from March 1778 to January 1779, Mozart returned once more to Salzburg, having been unable to secure a foothold and depressed by the entire experience, which had included the death of his mother in the midst of his stay in Paris.

Unable to get hired for an opera, he wrote music to order in Paris, again mainly for wind instruments: the Sinfonia Concertante for four solo wind instruments and orchestra, the Concerto for flute and harp, other chamber music, and the ballet music Les Petits riens. In addition, he began giving lessons to make money. Mozart's years in Vienna, from age twenty-five to his death at thirty-five, cover one of the greatest developments in a short span in the history of music. In these ten years Mozart's music grew rapidly beyond the realm of many of his contemporaries; it exhibited both ideas and methods of elaboration that few could follow, and to many the late Mozart seemed a difficult composer. The major instrumental works of this period bring together all the fields of Mozart's earlier activity and some new ones: six symphonies, including the famous last three: no. 39 in E-flat Major, no. 40 in G Minor, and no. 41 in C Major (the Jupiter —a title unknown to Mozart). He finished these three works within six weeks during the summer of 1788, a remarkable feat even for him.

In the field of the string quartet Mozart produced two important groups of works that completely overshadowed any he had written before 1780: in 1785 he published the six Quartets (K. 387, 421, 428, 458, 464, and 465) and in 1786 added the single Hoffmeister Quartet (K. 499). In 1789 he wrote the last three Quartets (K. 575, 589, and 590), dedicated to King Frederick William (1688–1740) of Prussia, a noted cellist. Operas of the Vienna years Mozart's development as an opera composer between 1781 and his death is even more remarkable, perhaps, since the problems of opera were more far-ranging than those of the larger instrumental forms and provided less adequate models. The first important result was the German Singspiel entitled Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782; Abduction from the Seraglio ). Mozart then turned to Italian opera.

Mozart produced his three greatest Italian operas: Le nozze di Figaro (1786; The Marriage of Figaro ), Don Giovanni (1787, for Prague), and Cosi fan tutte (1790). In his last opera, The Magic Flute (1791), Mozart turned back to German opera, and he produced a work combining many strands of popular theater and including musical expressions ranging from folk to opera. On concluding The Magic Flute, Mozart turned to work on what was to be his last project, the Requiem. This Mass had been commissioned by a benefactor (financial supporter) said to have been unknown to Mozart, and he is supposed to have become obsessed with the belief that he was, in effect, writing it for himself. Ill and exhausted, he managed to finish the first two movements and sketches for several more, but the last three sections were entirely lacking when he died. It was completed by his pupil Franz Süssmayer after his death, which occurred in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791. For More Information In what other Austrian city was Mozart born? | Cafe Arjun - 15 times WordPress Top Blog!

In what other Austrian city was Mozart born? by cafearjun This is today’s question on Marriott world of rewards, and for those like me, looking for the answer to the question: In what other Austrian city was Mozart born? The answer is: Beautiful Salzburg in Austria, where Mozart was born. Mozart A little about Mozart: Mozart (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – full name) was born in the fourth largest Austrian city of Salzburg. He’s most popular for his symphonic classical music compositions. Born into a professional music loving family, Mozart was a child prodigy and could read and write music at the age of 5. In his middle years, he moved to Vienna (called the City of music) where he found mass acclaim and popularity. The musical genius died at a young age of 35. Beethoven, who later went on to become a historical musician, initially wrote much of Mozart’s music, but all under Mozart’s name. Like this: Austria to Fete Mozart with Birthday Bash | Backstage Austria to Fete Mozart with Birthday Bash By AP | Posted Dec. 24, 2005, midnight Share: By William J.

Kole Roll over, Beethoven. Beat it, Brahms. Mozart is back with a vengeance, though he'd probably flip his powdered wig if he could see the fuss being made over his 250th birthday. As Austria and the world gear up for a jubilee year of concerts and celebrations marking the maestro's birth, his hometown of Salzburg is on the verge of becoming Schmaltzburg. Suddenly, Amadeus is everywhere, and not just on the usual T-shirts, calendars, coffee mugs and ubiquitous "Mozart balls" -- small, round, unfortunately named candies that inevitably trigger snickers among tourists. Shelves are stacked high with bottles of Mozart beer and wine, Mozart baby bottles, Mozart milkshakes, Mozart knickers, Mozart umbrellas and Mozart jigsaw puzzles. There's Mozart torte ("a symphony of tastes," its creator promises) and even Mozartwurst, a sausage of beef, pork and pistachios courtesy of a Salzburg butcher who claims the recipe came to him in a dream.

Complaints of excessive kitsch aside, it's a fitting frenzy of tribute for a musical genius who gave the universe "Don Giovanni," "The Marriage of Figaro," "The Magic Flute," his haunting "Requiem" and hundreds of other works. "Mozart is back -- big time," said Ilse Blank, who works for a Vienna tuxedo rental shop that's scrambling to dress clients who want to look like Amadeus at balls and parties. Poking fun at the unprecedented hype, the organizers of Mozart 2006 events in Vienna have come up with a playful logo: a famed 18th-century portrait of the composer doctored to show his eyes rolling back in his head. "There are fears of a possible overkill," conceded Peter Marboe, overseeing remembrances in the Austrian capital. But it's all about the music. "Mozart, for me, is the light I orient my life around.

He is a gift from God," said Angelika Kirschschlager, a celebrated Austrian mezzo-soprano who says singing his works "purifies not only the voice but the soul." Amadeus aficionados will have hundreds of events to choose from in New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Prague, Vienna and scores of other cities. On Jan. 27, the day the composer was born in 1756, New York's Metropolitan Opera will present a revival of last season's new Julie Taymor production of "The Magic Flute" and the New York Philharmonic will debut a three-week "Magic of Mozart" tribute. But Mozart Central will be Salzburg, where all 22 of his operas will be performed at the Salzburg Festival next summer. An enormous birthday bash on Jan. 27 is expected to draw Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other dignitaries. And through the year, Salzburg will host 260 concerts and 55 Masses devoted to Mozart's sacred music. Austria's Tourism Ministry expects several million Mozart tourists to converge on the alpine country over the course of the year.

Many will descend on Salzburg, where the house Mozart was born serves as a museum with an eclectic mix of items that look like they came straight out of Tom Sawyer's pocket: a lock of hair, a violin string, mother of pearl buttons from his waistcoat, a snuff box, playing cards and notes he scribbled on his many journeys. There are also more impressive items on display at Getreidegasse No. 9, including the violin he learned on as a child and a copy of a 1764 composition he wrote in his own hand at age 8. In Vienna on Jan. 27, the city will officially reopen the painstakingly restored downtown house where Mozart wrote "The Marriage of Figaro." Austria's National Library is displaying the original -- and seldom seen -- handwritten score to "Requiem"; Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel last month presented a copy to Pope Benedict XVI. Amadeus will figure prominently in virtually every major event in Austria in 2006. Even the Vienna City Marathon has co-opted the composer; along the 26.2-mile course, costumed musicians will play Mozart sonatas to give the runners a lift.

In the run-up to the jubilee, it's already all Mozart, all the time. Experts are peppering Austrians with Mozart trivia (he lived 13,097 days, and spent 3,720 of them traveling to more than 200 European cities), and educators, seizing the anniversary as a teaching point for music, history and culture, are touring schools with a special program. It asks children provocative questions such as: "What pieces did Mozart compose when he was my age?" and "Why didn't Mozart have to go to school?" -- even "Did Mozart brush his teeth?" The classical music world indulged in a similar fit of obsession in 1991 when it marked the 200th anniversary of Mozart's death. But the sheer scope of the 2006 celebrations has some worrying that it will cheapen his legacy. "It's all a bit of an exaggeration," Kurt Palms, author of the forthcoming book "Wolfgang Is Still Unorthodox," said ruefully.

"It raises the question of whether one might be causing some damage." Mozart was born as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Gottlieb Mozart and christened as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. The Latin equivalent of Theophilus was Amadeus, and that's how he eventually signed his name. The epitome of a child prodigy, he started playing the keyboard at 3. By his fifth birthday, he was already composing minuets. Between then and Dec. 5, 1791, when he died of rheumatic fever a few minutes before 1 a.m., he wrote 626 works. Underscoring how every aspect of his life and death still fascinates 2 1/2 centuries later, the International Mozarteum Foundation has been using DNA sleuthing techniques to try to determine whether an ancient skull in its possession was that of Mozart. So far, the tests have been inconclusive. Mozart was buried in a pauper's grave at Vienna's St. Marx Cemetery, though researcher Otto Biba claims he has new evidence suggesting the composer in his heyday earned today's equivalent of $45,000 a year.

The spot where experts believe he was laid to rest is adorned by a simple column and a sad-looking angel. "When you're happy, a little Mozart will make you happier," said Marboe, the Vienna events organizer. "And when you're sad, it will make you sadder still." On the Net:

Question: In which Austrian city was the composer Mozart born?
Answer: SALZBURG